upgrade from Win 10 to Win 10 pro using win 7 ultimate key?

erictheduke · 13 Nov 2015

I'm not entering a Windows 10 home key, it's windows 7 ultimate.

Cbarnhorst said:

Because the Windows 10 Home product key is not a retail key. It is the dummy "giveaway" key that everybody with the free Windows 10 upgrade has. It is blocked on Microsoft's activation servers just like OEM keys. If there were a way to enter a product key during the free upgrade you could do it that way, but there isn't. Contact the Store. When you buy online the digital entitlement is zapped to your computer. There will be no Pro product key sent you in an email. All you get is the download link in an email (I think).

As an aside: My wife installed Pro and then went online and bought Pro ($200) because she thought that was the way it worked. All she got was the digital entitlement for the already installed Pro. No download link. Microsoft sensed it was already istalled. (She didn't know about the Pro Upgrade (sigh).)

What you need to do is back up your files and restart with the Windows 10 media and reformat the hard drive. Then after you select Pro and installation proceeds put in the 7 Ultimate product key when asked. Or if you don't see a place to select an edition, putting in the product key when asked will make that selection. By the way, Pro is the default installation if no selections are made.

Cbarnhorst · 13 Nov 2015

erictheduke said:

I'm not entering a Windows 10 home key, it's windows 7 ultimate.

You cannot use the 7 key to buy Windows 10 upgrade. Enter this key (it is embedded in your Windows)

YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7

It is your Windows 10 Home key. Maybe I'm wrong (hope so) and the Store will accept the generic key.

alphanumeric · 13 Nov 2015

Cbarnhorst said:

Correct. You can't upgrade to another edition by merely changing the product key. It requires installation of the Pro software and then activation with the Win 7 key. See my reply to spapakons.

You can with a Windows 10 key. I've done it twice, 10 Pro to Enterprise and 10 Pro to Education. No media required only had to enter a key vis change key. As far as I know you can do this to go from Home to Pro too. But as you point out, in this case you must need a Windows 10 key. He will likely have to clean install Pro with the 7 ultimate key as you advised.

NavyLCDR · 13 Nov 2015

erictheduke said:

Thanks for the post, but I'm really trying to get to pro without a clean install. I hate having to set up everything with a clean install!

Make an image backup of your current Windows 10 Home. I recommend Macrium Reflect Free to do that. Do a clean install of Windows 10 Pro by booting from a USB/ISO made with the most recent Windows 10 ISO which is build 10586. You are supposed to be able to enter the Windows 7 Ultimate key to do that. Once you have that activated, you will have a digital entitlement for Windows 10 Pro save on Microsoft Activation Servers (just make sure to check that it is activated).

Then you can restore your Windows 10 Home from the image you made and use the change product key function to enter the generic Windows 10 Pro product key and it will upgrade to Pro.

Windows 10 Pro: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

erictheduke · 13 Nov 2015

Wow that is a crazy solution but if it will work, I will try it! What do you guys think?

NavyLCDR said:

Make an image backup of your current Windows 10 Home. I recommend Macrium Reflect Free to do that. Do a clean install of Windows 10 Pro by booting from a USB/ISO made with the most recent Windows 10 ISO which is build 10586. You are supposed to be able to enter the Windows 7 Ultimate key to do that. Once you have that activated, you will have a digital entitlement for Windows 10 Pro save on Microsoft Activation Servers (just make sure to check that it is activated).

Then you can restore your Windows 10 Home from the image you made and use the change product key function to enter the generic Windows 10 Pro product key and it will upgrade to Pro.

Windows 10 Pro: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

bobkn · 13 Nov 2015

NavyLCDR said:

Make an image backup of your current Windows 10 Home. I recommend Macrium Reflect Free to do that. Do a clean install of Windows 10 Pro by booting from a USB/ISO made with the most recent Windows 10 ISO which is build 10586. You are supposed to be able to enter the Windows 7 Ultimate key to do that. Once you have that activated, you will have a digital entitlement for Windows 10 Pro save on Microsoft Activation Servers (just make sure to check that it is activated).

Then you can restore your Windows 10 Home from the image you made and use the change product key function to enter the generic Windows 10 Pro product key and it will upgrade to Pro.

Windows 10 Pro: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

I wonder whether this is based on experience, documentation, or speculation.

I hope the OP gets back to us on whether it works. It's not something that I ever expect to wish to do, but it's still interesting.

alphanumeric · 13 Nov 2015

bobkn said:

I wonder whether this is based on experience, documentation, or speculation.

I hope the OP gets back to us on whether it works. It's not something that I ever expect to wish to do, but it's still interesting.

In theory it should work. The clean install and activation of 10 Pro will record a digital entitlement on the activation server for that PC, with the generic 10 Pro key. Then you restore your original image and see if it will upgrade to 10 pro through change key with the generic key. If your determined to upgrade to Pro its one way to try it. You can enter the generic key during install instead of clicking skip if you want to. I do it with a PID.txt file on my install media. Saves me having to select Pro and click skip several times. Activates just fine when done.

NavyLCDR · 13 Nov 2015

bobkn said:

I wonder whether this is based on experience, documentation, or speculation.

Experience, with one minor deviation. I did the clean installation of Pro on a second partition. Then went back to my Home installation on the first partition and upgraded it by entering the Pro generic key. My laptop currently has both Home and Pro digital entitlements stored on MS servers and I can activate either version of Windows 10 with the appropriate generic key.

Erictheduke can also do it that way. Shrink the Home partition enough to make room for a new Pro installation (50 gb is plenty). Install Pro to a new partition and activate it. Then just delete the Pro partition and extend the Home partition back out into the empty space and upgrade Home to Pro by changing the product key to the generic Pro key.

erictheduke · 13 Nov 2015

NavyLCDR said:

Experience, with one minor deviation. I did the clean installation of Pro on a second partition. Then went back to my Home installation on the first partition and upgraded it by entering the Pro generic key. My laptop currently has both Home and Pro digital entitlements stored on MS servers and I can activate either version of Windows 10 with the appropriate generic key.

Erictheduke can also do it that way. Shrink the Home partition enough to make room for a new Pro installation (50 gb is plenty). Install Pro to a new partition and activate it. Then just delete the Pro partition and extend the Home partition back out into the empty space and upgrade Home to Pro by changing the product key to the generic Pro key.

So I did exactly as you have said and it worked out great!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not one problem and was very quick to do. Did you think of this solution yourself? I must really commend you for coming up with something like this! Thank you so much.

NavyLCDR · 13 Nov 2015

erictheduke said:

So I did exactly as you have said and it worked out great!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not one problem and was very quick to do. Did you think of this solution yourself? I must really commend you for coming up with something like this! Thank you so much.

Yes, I was just curious if a computer could have Home and Pro activations stored at the same time and if the Pro generic key would upgrade the Home version, so I tried it.